A WOMAN has told a court that her estranged husband’s father’s ashes are packed up and ready to be collected – but not by him at the family home after he featured in a ‘sting video’ by a vigilante group.
At the Family Law Court, the woman said that they live in a small community “where everyone has been the ‘sting’ video” featuring her husband being confronted by a member of a vigilante group after he allegedly made contact with a child.
The woman said that “kids are told they can’t come to our house because of the ‘sting’ video and if he is seen in the area or seen near our house again, it will set our social exclusion back”.
The woman initially secured a Protection Order in the district court against her husband last year after Gardaí informed her of the circumstances around the ‘sting video’.
In court, Judge Adrian Harris has now extended the woman’s Protection Order against her husband to April after the woman said that she doesn’t want her husband to enter the family home as Gardaí still have to conduct a search of the property in relation to their investigation.
The woman told the court: “I don’t want him taking anything from the house that might be needed for that investigation.”
The man currently resides in a different county to the family home and the wife said that she has bags of belongings along with her husband’s late father’s ashes ready to be picked up for months – but she doesn’t want her husband to collect from the family home.
Solicitor, Caroline Doherty for the woman said that her client “is completely in fear” of her estranged husband.
Ms Doherty said that her client “doesn’t feel that she wants him back into the property right now. There is also a lot of stigma in regard to what is under investigation and she has also to navigate the breakdown of the relationship following the incident.”
The couple have children together and Judge Harris has now increased the level of video access between the father and their children.
The man told the court that prior to video access with his children at Christmas “I spent six months not having any contact with my kids at all”.
He said: “I also need to get my personal belongings – it has been six months now.”
The woman said that two car loads of his belongings have been brought away by friends of his.
The man said that he and his wife are directors of the same company.
He told the court “I have lost a ton of work because of this sting video going around.”
The man said “I am working my butt off to try to continue to work in order to pay for everything which I am doing at the minute.”
The man said that his estranged wife no longer wants to work to take down the video.
He said: “I have asked her in multiple correspondence on how she is doing on her progress in taking down the video and she says she no longer wants to deal with that.”
He said: “It is imperative that the video be taken down so I can continue to work.”
The video remains online today.
The estranged couple appeared in court via two separate video-links from their homes.
Solicitor, Colum Doherty for the man said that his client is entitled to the presumption of innocence in any Garda investigation. Mr Doherty said that the sting video “is doing the rounds on social media”.
On behalf of the woman, Ms Doherty said that her client has nothing to do with the circulation of the video.
Ms Doherty said that her client already has to deal with the fall out of this including the social exclusion, raising children by herself and to move on, on a day to day basis.
Judge Harris said that the solicitors can engage in correspondence on items of belongings to be picked by up the husband and the manner of collection.
Judge Harris adjourned the case to April and said that the woman’s Protection Order is to remain in place.
